On this week’s show, Bree and Justin cruise into a wild week jam-packed with updates and a full-fledged MMO reboot on top of everything else. It’s all they can do to hang on to the bucking bronco of news without being flung off into side topics, but they’ll do their best!

It’s the Massively OP Podcast, an action-packed hour of news, tales, opinions, and gamer emails! And remember, if you’d like to send in your own letter to the show, use the “Tips” button in the top-right corner of the site to do so.

Cross-platform MMO Villagers and Heroes made a leap to another platform this week with the release of the game for the app store. This means that iOS devices can now pick up and join the fun along with the Android and PC crowd.

Mad Otter Games opened up a new server — US3 — to handle the influx of new players. It should be noted that unlike some mobile spinoffs of MMOs, Villagers and Heroes for iOS is the same full version that PC players enjoy, albeit with modified controls and UI to accommodate touchscreen devices.

Villagers and Heroes put out Patch 4.8 late last month with movement changes, a ranchable boar, and two new high-level zones. The iOS release includes the recent Starfall overhaul and offers eight class builds, 10 crafting professions, over 1,000 quests, and player housing.

Remember Maguss, the Harry Potter-esque ARG everyone was buzzing around right up until Pokemon Go company Niantic said it was making Harry Potter: Wizards Unite? It’s just about to launch its open beta; you west coasters will want to wake up early on Saturday indeed to make the 8 a.m. EST starting time on Android and iOS. The game originally raised almost half a million dollars on Indiegogo, so its popularity seems assured!

What else happened in the world of MMO testing this week?

Camelot Unchained finally has a beta date: the fourth of July. Fortunately, nothing else important happens on that day. Our interview all about how beta will work is pretty great if we do say so ourselves.

With the launch of Villagers and Heroes on iOS mobile devices this February 26th, the team desperately needs all testers on deck to make sure the version is ready to release. In addition to asking for more applicants, the studio is running community challenges that will result in free goodies for everyone (in fact, the first such reward has already been reached).

On a rather strange note, the devs took to the forums this week to address various rumors that have been circulating about the title. These include the nature and number of moderators, accusations that the title has degenerated into a “Lord of the Flies” situation (their words), and alleged discrimination against the elderly.

The devs weren’t brooking any of it, especially that last one: “Are you kidding me with this? This one is so ludicrous, I’m not even going to respond to it.”

It has been almost a year and a half since Villagers and Heroes released on Android devices, during which the Apple-toting community has been eagerly awaiting its turn. Happily, that moment is almost here, as Mad Otter Games announced yesterday in a press release that it will be bringing the title to iOS on Feburary 26th.

“We are excited about the game finally coming to the Apple App Store so that players new and old can play on the Apple devices to experience one of the most immersive cross-platform MMORPG’s available,” said Mad Otter President Damon Slye. “We are looking for beta testers for iOS, so if you would like to get your hands on the iOS version early to help test, please sign up on the website!”

You can sign up for the beta test right now to see how Villagers and Heroes performs. It’s a cute MMO that deserves a little bit of love, which is why we like to visit it every now and then. Check out MJ’s latest adventures after the break!

A new year is a great time for Massively OP’s MJ to face a new threat. A new year, a new threat — she’s supposed to face something at least! The Grinchta is the nemesis of the Christmas season in Villagers & Heroes, and MJ is determined to face and eliminate any problems this critter is causing. We must save Christmas for next year and all the years after, right? Tune in live at 8:00 p.m. for some a look at the holiday festivities in…

It has become a long-standing tradition as Massively OP and our former site that we like to end the year by creating a list of titles that we anticipate for the coming one. It has always been a devilish list to create, full of loose dates and fast guesswork about which titles will and won’t be releasing during a 12-month window (just read last year’s list to see how spot-on I was).

This year we’re changing things up a bit by tossing out the qualifying factor of “will see a hard launch in 2018.” Instead, I drafted up a list of 20 MMOs that have the potential to do or be really interesting next year, whether that be a launch, a long-anticipated beta test, or some other significant development. Plus, hey, you get 20 for the price of 10, so no complaining now!

“Free-to-Play MMORPG Villagers & Heroes will be soon coming to iOS devices following the release of the latest expansion Starfall. Villagers & Heroes on iOS promises the same level of content, intuitive controls and in-depth MMORPG experience as Android and PC players experience with everything MMO fans love. […] More details on the iOS version and the coveted release date will be coming soon.”

Hey, you. Yeah, you, dude leeching candy from the bucket you bought “for the neighborhood kids.” And you, lady still trying to decide between “Princess Leia” and “lazy zombie” for your costume (go Leia, duh). Put all that aside and get into some MMOs instead! Halloween is only one night in real life, but in MMORPGs, it goes on for days or even weeks. Some studios will probably even forget to turn it off! Others will let you run around with a flaming pumpkin head mask for all eternity!

Here’s what we’re looking at this year for Halloween across the MMORPG verse.

Do you want to be taken to Spooky Town? Massively OP’s MJ sure does! Villagers & Heroes introduced a new zone for the holiday, and MJ really wants to explore it. Can she find her way there? And perhaps more importantly, can she survive once she does? Tune in live at 6:00 p.m. for a look at Halloween in…

In Dark and Light, Gobboween has descended on the gameworld. Expect prowling wolves, enchanted jack-o-lanterns, pumpkin seeds, elite teleporting mobs, candy, and even a scythe tool if you want to run around ganking people while pretending to be the grim reaper.

On this week’s show, Tina joins the crew to talk about the momentous launch of Guild Wars 2:Path of Fire! There’s plenty more for the crew to discuss, too, with a pair of EverQuest expansion announcements, a launch of an underdog MMOARPG, and more!

It’s the Massively OP Podcast, an action-packed hour of news, tales, opinions, and gamer emails! And remember, if you’d like to send in your own letter to the show, use the “Tips” button in the top-right corner of the site to do so.

Starfall includes a reworked loot system, revamped talents, four new high-level zones, a level cap increase to 90, more character creation options, reworked crafting, tweaks to the UI, and more. You can get a preview of Starfall, including the new hairstyles and character appearance options, in the dev livestream after the break!